. Control click heading above to hear 1948 Spike Jones radio program with guest Peter Lorre.

Chester Gould's The Mole of the early 1940s returns in April when IDW publishes Volume Seven of The Complete Dick Tracy (1941-42). A decade later, the character was the inspiration for Bill Elder and Harvey Kurtzman's Melvin Mole in Mad #2 (December 1952-January 1953). The story "Mole!" was one of the memorable creations of the early Mad, kick-starting the comic book and catapulting it into unexplored valleys obscured by clouds. For an illustrated review of Mad #2, see Eddie Hunter's Chicken Fat.

After one had read "Mole!" and Wally Wood's "Blobs!" (Mad #1), readers had to pick up #3 and #4 just to see what was erupting from the manhole covers at 225 Lafayette Street. What rough beast, its hour come round at last, was slouching towards Madison Avenue to be born? Dig, dig!